


Hiding amongst the pages

by etc_crack



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Hiding, Kuroo is a writer, Light Angst, M/M, Pining, Prompt Fill, Tsukki is his editor, Tsukki struggles with his emotions, Tumblr Prompt, Writer's Block, Writers, mostly Tsukki is a bit pissed off
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-16
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-15 00:32:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4586190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/etc_crack/pseuds/etc_crack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kuroo has writer’s block and in order to get away he takes refuge in the local library. His editor is not so easily fooled.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hiding amongst the pages

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [ficasim](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ficasim/pseuds/ficasim)'s prompt, who asked for "something about libraries or bookstores (or getting locked in a bookstore), and inserting a quote or two from a book of your choice"
> 
> So this story was inspired by a quote from The Picture of Dorian Gray. Still, there is another one in the story from one of my favorite books :D Hope you like it!

 

 “I am too fond of reading books to care to write them.”

― Oscar Wilde, _The Picture of Dorian Gray_

 

* * *

 

 

“Where is the draft, Kuroo-san?”

Kuroo jumped in his chair, causing it to skittle on the library’s concrete floor and his book to thump against the table. His gaze snapped up immediately. Right beside his chair loomed a tall figure, the afternoon light shining from his glasses and a flat expression judging him.

“Tsukki!” Kuroo gave a surprised yelp, earning a few frowns from the other occupants, then he trailed of. “Hey…”

Tsukki’s eyes narrowed slightly but his expression didn’t change. After a brief but awkward silence, he huffed. “Kuroo-san,” he said quietly, his eyes fixed on the other. “the draft?...”

_Shit!_

Of course Kuroo knew the deadline was in a week and ever since they started working together Tsukki always came a few days earlier to check on his progress. He knew all of this! Otherwise, why would he be hiding in the library, burying himself in other people’s stories and escaping from that horrible thing called writing? And up until now, even against the insistent hollow anxiety at the pit of his stomach, he had been doing a pretty good job.

Hiding a grimace, Kuroo smiled leeringly at his young editor.

_He needed a distraction…he needed to buy himself some time! How did Tsukki find him anyway?!_

“How have you been, Tsukki?” he asked leaning forward and resting his face on his hand. Unconsciously his eyes travelled over Tsukishima’s lean frame, lingering on his long fingers and the way his neck muscles tensed. As he watched Tsukki swallowed, his Adam’s apple moving.

_Well…now, that was a pleasant distraction..._

As always Tsukki frowned at Kuroo’s attempts at flirting, taut lines pulling at the corners of his mouth and a hesitant look passing in his eyes.

 _How cute_ , Kuroo thought, getting sidetracked. His gaze trailed Tsukki’s lips. _Too bad it’s not going to get anywhere._

“I’m fine,” Tsukki muttered, polite as always. “thank you..” Despite his mild tone and neutral expression, Kuroo was aware how Tsukishima held himself. Tense, distant and guarded… Not that it was unexpected. After all Tsukki had always been… uninterested. Ever since he had become Kuroo’s editor, he had been detached but well-mannered and always, _always_ professional. No matter how hard Kuroo pushed, he never gave any ground.

“And you, Kuroo-san?”

Kuroo leaned back on his chair, aiming for a flirty smile. Even if he couldn’t get any reaction, it was still nice to try. “Fine..fine..” he said, watching Tsukki. 

Shifting on his feet, Tsukishima’s gaze focused on the book resting in front of Kuroo. “Then you are finished with the draft?”

_Eh..back to business…and so soon.._

Kuroo briefly glanced at the book, the lines all perfectly filled and complete. And he couldn’t even finish a draft. Pushing down a sigh, he closed the book. When dealing with Tsukishima there was no need to lie.

“Yeah…well..” he admitted, smiling. “Not necessarily”

This time when Tsukki’s eyes narrowed his expression turned scarier.

“And you’re sitting in the local library, reading because…”

Kuroo shrugged. “I needed a break” he said stretching his limbs.

Tsukki looked unimpressed, but Kuroo wasn’t fazed. Having experienced them frequently, he was used to the collection of Tsukki’s flat expressions. To be honest, at this point he was kind of fond of them.

Then reaching into his bag Tsukki took out a red pen. And Kuroo’s fondness disappeared instantly. _Not the red pen!_

“Let me see what you have so far” Tsukki murmured, pulling a chair to sit across Kuroo.

Thinking on his feet, Kuroo sat up. “I came here to relax, Tsukki” he claimed, trying to go for a nonchalant attitude. “I don’t have it with me”

Tsukki gave him another flat look. _So..that didn’t work…it never did with Tsukki._

Taking out his sorry excuse for a draft, Kuroo slapped it on the table.

Sometimes he suspected that Daichi knew exactly what he was doing when he assigned him to Tsukki. Now, it was nearly over a year and no matter how many times Kuroo threatened or flirted or bribed (one time!) he hadn’t been able to make Tsukishima go his way.

On the brightside, he had never been this productive or punctual…well..to some extent…

Across him, Tsukki’s eyes were carefully moving over the paper, his red pen swaying between his elegant fingers. As Kuroo watched, Tsukki took a few notes at the margin, his eyes never leaving the page.

Kuroo sighed quietly. Soon he knew his paper will be filled with red markings. Tsukki was brutal in that way. Meanwhile he could get himself something to drink…

“Sit.”

Kuroo froze, his body in mid-motion. Then Tsukki actually separated his eyes from the paper and looked at him, his gaze pinning Kuroo down.

_Oh…_

Slowly Kuroo sat down. _That_ …had been different. Despite his distant demeanor, Tsukki never ordered him around.

Suddenly Tsukishima pushed the last few pages of the draft, a pen and a stack of blank papers towards him. So he wanted Kuroo to write…

Kuroo grimaced. He knew he couldn’t run away from this forever. But as he looked upon the blank page, staring at him, he wished he could. Sighing at his defeat, he pulled the pages and took hold of the pen. Might as well try…

For the next fifteen minutes they worked in silence, Tsukki mercilessly taking notes with that damned red pen and Kuroo losing his sanity over a plot that stopped making sense to him at page ten. And although Kuroo had tried to concentrate on various scenes and plot points, it was impossible to miss Tsukki’s growing agitation with each page. And when Tsukki put down his pen and wordlessly asked for the remaining pages, he looked…well…sour was an adequate word.

Another grimace threatened to make its way to Kuroo’s face. However cute he found Tsukki, he didn’t enjoy when Tsukki slayed his writing.

When he looked up again, Tsukki had stacked the pages together, red notes covering the margins of the top page and a cold look on his face.

“Kuroo-san,” he started quietly.

Kuroo sat up again. Something in his voice wasn’t quite right…

“You’ve introduced a new character…a love interest…”

Kuroo nodded. Yes, he had been meaning to write a new love interest for his main character for a while and plot wise, it seemed like a good time. It was actually something that they’ve talked about at their previous meeting…

“Yes,” he replied. “as we’ve talked, Tsukki”

Tsukki pursed his lips, then grabbing his red pen pointed at a section circled in red. “And this is how you want to introduce her?” he asked.

Kuroo leaned over to look. The scene was the first interaction between his main character and the love interest and on the paper wrote; _I'm sure you're very nice, but you'd be even nicer if you went away_.

Noticing Tsukki’s displeased expression, Kuroo frowned in confusion. It wasn’t original, of course but he would modify it anyway…

“I know..” he said, smiling to soften the tension. “It’s not mine but I was reading,” He gestured towards the book he had been reading earlier. “And it seemed like a fitting line for the love interest.”

Tsukki still looked dissatisfied…even a bit annoyed. “And she is blond…” he said, almost like a question.

“Yeah,” Kuroo shrugged. “Many people are blond.”

“Not in Japan, they are not.”

Taken aback by Tsukki’s snappish tone, Kuroo stopped to look at him. He looked…kinda mad? Kuroo raised his eyebrows in surprise. This was probably the first time he had seen Tsukki angry…actually pissed off and it was incredibly strange.

“And she has a moon tattoo?” Tsukki continued, his voice not louder than a furious whisper.

Kuroo couldn’t stop his frown. “Sooo..” he said, tilting his head. “The love interest, that’s the only thing bothering you?”

Immediately Tsukishima’s expression closed off. “No, of course not,” he snapped.  “The plot needs work, a solid rewriting. It’s not logical or even natural at times. Your minor characters lack consistency, as always you’ve written too many scenes for build up, they are unnecessary Kuroo-san, you know that!”

Suddenly shifting through the papers, Tsukishima took out one and pushed it in front of Kuroo. “And at this scene,” he continued, his red pen tracing the relevant section. “You wanted to foreshadow the choice your main character was going to face at the climax but it’s not subtle enough”

_Observant little shit…_

Kuroo couldn’t disregard the displeasure at having his work torn apart by an editor and it was fruitless to deny that Tsukki was _very good_ at tearing down stories, but at times like this, when Tsukki showed off by detecting every single point, his clever mind seeing each weak spot, and pointing them out with brutal honesty, Kuroo felt warm, his heart constricting in his chest.

After a year, there was no use in denying it. He was fond of this guy; this distant, clever, freaking cute guy who clearly felt awkward whenever Kuroo flirted with him and probably would never return his feelings…

And _now_ he felt sorry for himself…

“I’ll rewrite,” he offered to Tsukishima, trying to push down his fond smile.

Tsukki, on the other hand, still looked sour. “Yes, well…” he murmured, leaving the pen on the desk and leaning back. “That’s a given.”

Kuroo smirked at the deadpan. That was more like Tsukishima, though his agitation was still concerning. Trying to push down his worry, he reached over to collect the draft filled with Tsukki’s notes, his hand catching the pen. “I’ll work on these tomorrow then” Kuroo supplied, his eyes trained on Tsukki’s face.

Tsukishima still looked tense but closing his bag, he pushed his chair to get up. _Something was clearly wrong…_

Before he could stop himself Kuroo had grabbed Tsukki’s arm. “Tsukki,” he inquired, his tone soft. “Are you okay?”

For a brief second, something vulnerable flickered in Tsukki’s eyes, then he pulled up and adjusting his glasses regarded Kuroo impassively. “Of course, Kuroo-san”

Carefully pushing the chair into its place, Tsukki took a step back, shaking Kuroo’s hand away. “I’ll see you tomorrow evening” he added, giving him a simple nod. Then without waiting for Kuroo’s answer, he turned back and left with a stride.

Looking after his retreating back, Kuroo felt the ominous loss of something important.

 _There_ , on the table lay Tsukki’s red pen, forgotten.

At the pit of his stomach worry churned. _Something_ was bothering his Tsukki… As a smitten sigh slowly pushed itself between his lips, Kuroo leaned back, his hand reaching for Tsukki’s pen and clutching it.

When he had first seen Tsukishima, when they had first finished the review of Kuroo’s latest chapter draft, Kuroo couldn’t help but tease this young editor. He had been so proper that Kuroo _needed_ to wreck him.

After a few weeks, when he started to notice those elegant fingers, that long neck, begging to be licked and those piercing eyes, his heart skipping a beat every time Tsukki licked his lips,  it had become clear to him that he desired Tsukki.

But now…each time Tsukki gave him a flat look, warmth filled his body, each time Tsukki made a smart comment he couldn’t help but smile and now Kuroo couldn’t deny how his heart constricted with worry when things were bothering his editor. And surely it was time to face it…

_He was so fucked…_

**Author's Note:**

> Did you catch the other quote? :)
> 
> “I'm sure you're very nice, but you'd be even nicer if you went away.” 
> 
> ― Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers


End file.
